Re: [malware-list] [RFC 0/5] [TALPA] Intro to alinuxinterfaceforon access scanning

Theodore Tso
2008-08-15T11:36:21Z

On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 09:35:13AM +0100, Alan Cox wrote:
> We shouldn't need to care what people do with good interface. What
> matters is in your airport example is that at the infrastructure level
> there is a point you can choose to do scanning and we agree where.
> Whether people use this to provide a Starbucks or goons with rubber
> gloves who take away babies milk is an application layer problem.

If it's a good interface that also happens to address HSM/DMAPI
functionality, as well as a more efficient way for trackerd to work, I
agree completely. I think you will agree the proposed TALPA interface
is a bit too virus-scanner specific, though? Especially with explicit
talk of specialized (persistent or not) "clean/dirty/infected" bits
that the kernel would store in the inode for the benefit of the AV
scanner? That's rather optimized for the goons-with-rubber-gloves
that-make-mothers-drink-their-own-breast-to-prove-it's-not-explosives
crowd, I think...

- Ted